Europe

Hookers in Europe

The business of prostitution in Europe varies by country, and are under constant change. As well, the degree of enforcement varies, even within the countries themselves.

Some countries outlaw the act of actual prostitution (engaging in sexual activity in exchange for money), while others allow prostitution itself but not most forms of procuring (such as operating brothels, facilitating the prostitution of another, deriving financial gain from the prostitution of another, soliciting/loitering)… and the exact terms vary widely as well.

Prostitution is currently legal (and regulated) in the following countries:

The legal and social treatment of prostitution also differs widely by country. Very liberal prostitution policies exist in the Netherlands and Germany, and these countries are major destinations for international sex tourism. Amsterdam’s prostitution windows are (in)famous all over the world.

Other places are very strict. In Sweden, Norway, and Iceland it is illegal to pay for sex, but not to be a prostitute (the client commits a crime, but not the prostitute). In Eastern Europe, the anti-prostitution laws target the prostitutes, because in these countries prostitution is condemned from a moral\conservative viewpoint. Other countries which have restrictive prostitution policies and officially affirm an anti-prostitution stance are the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. Among countries where prostitution is not officially and legally regulated and recognized as a job, laissez-faire and tolerant attitudes exist in Spain, Belgium and the Czech Republic.